A 4-year-old son of Peintre Celebre, Castledale retired with five wins and five seconds from 17 starts and earnings of $864,423. His dam, Louju (by Silver Hawk), is a half-sister to At Full Feather and is out of stakes winner Secretarial Queen (by Secretariat).
Castledale, a grade I winner on dirt and turf, will enter stud at Pope McLean's Crestwood Farm near Lexington, standing as the property of a syndicate for $6,000.Castledale defeated Imperialism and Rock Hard Ten in the 2004 Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and captured this year's Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile Stakes (gr. IT) and San Francisco Breeders' Cup Mile Handicap (gr. IIT). As a 2-year-old fresh over from his native Ireland, he won the Generous Stakes (gr. IIIT) for new owners Greg Knee and Frank Lyons. He was stakes-placed in Ireland.